It is known in reversible portable power drills to incorporate a pivoted actuating lever for the reversing switch above and adjacent the trigger of the trigger on/off switch, a retention pin on the acutating lever entering either of two retention slots in the trigger upon depression of the latter. In this way, the direction of the reversing switch has to be selected before the trigger is depressed to energise the tool, and while the trigger is depressed the actuating lever is prevented from being further actuated.
In such switch arrangements, conventionally the acutating lever for the reversing switch is located between the lower housing wall of the motor compartment and the upper part of the trigger. The trigger is accommodated adjacent the top of a pistol grip handle, so that the actuating lever is, therefore, arranged in the region of the transition between the pistol grip handle and the motor compartment housing, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,931. The actuating lever is long and extends forwardly beyond the trigger, the freely accessible forward end of the lever being manipulated by the fingers of the operator to pivot the lever.
In the above switch arrangement, there is a danger that the user will inadvertently pivot the actuating lever as he or she grips the tool's handle and moves the index finger into position to squeeze the trigger. Furthermore, there is a risk of the acutating lever being broken off during operation because of its relatively long pivoted length, particularly as it is made of electrically insulating plastic material.